In the past two decades, the Chinese Navy, officially known as the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), has undergone one of the most significant and rapid expansions and modernisations of any navy globally. This transformation reflects China’s broader ambitions to assert itself as a global power, both regionally and on the world stage. This article will explore the key factors behind the PLAN’s growth, the specific areas of modernisation and the implications of this rise from regional and global security perspectives.
Lt Cdr Nitika Rai (Retd), for The News Analytics Journal
a 4 mins read.
China’s naval expansion is not a sudden phenomenon but the result of strategic shifts underway since the late 20th century. Historically, China’s navy was relatively small, poorly equipped, and primarily focused on regional defence, with limited capability for projecting power overseas. For much of the Cold War period, the PLAN was largely focused on coastal defence, emphasizing countering potential threats from the United States, Taiwan, and Japan.
The strategic pivot came in the late 1980s and early 1990s when China’s leaders recognized the need for greater naval capabilities to secure the country’s growing economic and geopolitical interests. The Chinese economy was opening up, and maritime trade, especially through the South China Sea, became increasingly vital. Concurrently, China sought to exert more influence over its maritime borders and ensure its access to global shipping lanes.
MODERNISATION PROGRAM
In the past decade, the PLAN has expanded its fleet dramatically, not only in terms of sheer numbers but also in the quality and sophistication of its ships. According to various military assessments, China’s naval fleet has surpassed the United States in total number of ships, though the U.S. maintains an edge in the quality of its vessels, particularly with its aircraft carriers and nuclear-powered submarines. As of 2025, the PLAN boasts around 355 ships, including more than 60 major surface combatants, roughly 50 submarines, and a large number of auxiliary ships.
A key driver behind the PLAN’s fleet expansion has been China’s focus on enhancing its capability to control maritime trade routes, protect its territorial waters, and assert influence in regional disputes. The expansion is characterized by a mixture of homegrown designs and acquisitions of foreign technology, including from Russia.
Technological Advancements: The PLAN’s fleet modernization program has seen the introduction of more advanced platforms, including new destroyers, frigates, amphibious assault ships, and aircraft carriers. These platforms significantly enhance the Navy’s operational capabilities in areas such as anti-air, anti-surface, and anti-submarine warfare, as well as power projection.
Aircraft Carriers: A major symbol of China’s growing naval ambitions is the commissioning of its aircraft carriers, which enable the PLAN to project power beyond its immediate waters. The first carrier, Liaoning, was commissioned in 2012 and is based on a Soviet-era design but heavily modified with Chinese technologies. In 2017, China launched its first indigenously built aircraft carrier, Shandong, a more advanced and larger vessel. A third carrier, Fujian, which is China’s first fully Indigenous CATOBAR (Catapult Assisted Take-Off But Arrested Recovery) carrier, was launched in 2022 and is expected to be operational in the coming years.
Destroyers and Frigates: The PLAN has rapidly developed and commissioned a range of advanced destroyers, including the Type 052D and Type 055 classes. The Type 052D is a multi-role destroyer that features advanced radar and stealth capabilities, while the larger Type 055 destroyer is often considered a “super-destroyer” capable of operating as a command ship in fleet operations. These ships have enhanced the PLAN’s ability to engage enemy ships, submarines, and aircraft in complex battle environments.
Submarines: The submarine fleet has also grown significantly, particularly in the area of nuclear-powered submarines. The PLAN currently operates a mix of nuclear and diesel-electric submarines, including the Type 094 and the Type 095 nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines. These submarines give China the capability to launch nuclear weapons from the sea, a significant deterrent that has altered the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific.
Naval Aviation and Drones: In addition to ships, China has invested heavily in naval aviation, which complements its surface combatant fleet. The PLAN has expanded its fleet of carrier-based aircraft, including fixed-wing fighters like the Shenyang J-15, which can operate from its aircraft carriers. Furthermore, the PLAN is exploring the use of drones, both for surveillance and potentially for strike missions. The development of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is seen as a key aspect of China’s future naval warfare strategy.
Amphibious Capabilities: Given the ongoing territorial disputes in the South China Sea and with Taiwan, China has been keen on strengthening its amphibious warfare capabilities. The PLAN has developed a range of amphibious assault ships, such as the Type 071 LPD (Landing Platform Dock), which can carry both troops and equipment to contested shores. The PLAN has also developed more advanced amphibious vehicles, which enhance its ability to project power over land from the sea.
As of 2025, the PLAN stands as the largest navy in the world by ship numbers and is increasingly capable of projecting power far beyond China’s immediate waters.
STRATEGIC AND OPERATIONAL GOALS
The rapid expansion and modernization of the PLAN reflect China’s evolving naval strategy, which centres around the concept of “maritime power.” This strategy seeks to secure China’s maritime interests, protect sea lanes, and assert its territorial claims, especially in contested waters such as the South China Sea and the East China Sea.
Power Projection: China’s naval modernization is not solely about regional defence; it is also about power projection. By increasing its naval capabilities, China aims to secure its maritime trade routes and extend its influence into the wider Indo-Pacific region and beyond. The PLAN has increasingly been conducting long-range deployments and joint exercises with other navies, signalling its readiness to operate far from its shores.
Anti-Access/Area Denial (A2/AD): One of the primary operational goals of the PLAN is to develop an Anti-Access/Area Denial (A2/AD) strategy. This involves creating a defensive bubble around China’s maritime borders, primarily to deter U.S. and allied naval forces from intervening in the region. The PLAN’s increasing investment in advanced missile systems, both on ships and submarines, as well as its growing network of military installations in the South China Sea, reflects this strategy.
Deterrence and Naval Diplomacy: China’s expanding naval power also serves as a tool of deterrence and diplomacy. With a growing fleet capable of projecting power, China can send messages of strength and resolve to its regional rivals, including Taiwan, Japan, and the Southeast Asian nations involved in territorial disputes in the South China Sea. Moreover, the PLAN’s increasing involvement in international naval exercises, peacekeeping operations, and humanitarian missions enhances China’s status as a global naval power.
China’s maritime claims and PLAN’s expansion threaten freedom of navigation, challenging international law and raising concerns about global trade disruptions and maritime security in contested waters.
GLOBAL AMBITIONS
The rise of the PLAN has far-reaching implications, not just for regional security but for global maritime stability. While the U.S. Navy remains superior in terms of operational reach, technological sophistication, and nuclear-powered vessels, China’s rise challenges American naval dominance, particularly in the Indo-Pacific. The presence of the PLAN in strategic maritime chokepoints such as the South China Sea has raised concerns in Washington, which sees the region as critical to global trade.
The growing capabilities of the PLAN have intensified the security competition in the Indo-Pacific. Nations like India, Japan, and Australia are strengthening their own naval forces in response, often through partnerships like the Quad (the U.S., Japan, India, and Australia) to counterbalance China’s rising naval power. Similarly, Southeast Asian nations are investing in naval defence capabilities to safeguard their maritime interests against China’s increasingly assertive posture.
China’s maritime claims, particularly in the South China Sea, have been a point of contention with international law and other claimants. The PLAN’s expansion increases Beijing’s ability to enforce its claims, potentially undermining the principle of freedom of navigation that underpins global maritime law.
The Chinese Navy has undergone a remarkable transformation in recent years, emerging as a powerful, modern force capable of projecting influence well beyond China’s shores. The PLAN’s rapid modernization reflects China’s broader ambitions on the global stage and its desire to secure its maritime interests, protect critical sea lanes, and assert control over contested waters. While this naval buildup has strengthened China’s security posture, it has also introduced new challenges for regional and global stability, particularly as it competes with other powers like the United States and its allies in the Indo-Pacific region. The future of the PLAN will be a key factor in shaping the strategic landscape of the 21st century, as China continues to assert itself as a maritime power.
(Lt Cdr Nitika Rai (Retd), former Indian Navy Officer. The views expressed are of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The News Analytics Journal.)
